Monthly Archives: June 2003

So at dinner today, a waitress who'd been eybeballing my forehead approached the table and asked, while pointing at her own head, “What is that? I've never seen anything quite like it!”

“It's my head,” I replied.

Anyway, tomorrow morning the shirts go to press; probably sixty of each of the main designs (a couple entries down from this one), and then perhaps a dozen of the design below which is of course not for sale. Since ModCon got killed off by part of its staff being, well, in prison, some of the events planned around it are being shifted to BMEfest.

The specifics of that contest will be described at the BBQ; it's a stage event that's open to entry from the crowd that should be pretty fun. Anyway, you'll have to come if you want to see it and/or take part. Be well rested and have eaten first and all that unless you want to be embarrassed. Oh, and a big thank you to ZRNA for being on the shirt!

There's still definitely a chance that these will change by tomorrow, since I have a few other designs that I did, and a number of really good ones that were submitted by other people. But I can only do two price-wise… Anyway, I think these are the two I'm going with:

Well, I'm now booked to do another interview with the station in Columbia (on Saturday), and will also be doing one with NPR in the US soon — I'll post the details on it as soon as I know it.

This isn't actually the final design, but it's a lot closer than the last one I posted. It'll get sent to the presses first thing tomorrow morning so depending on what logos still come in today there may be less people falling under the “…and more” moniker.

Oh, and yes, the print really is that big on the back — it totally fills the back. There are going to be two styles of front designs (I'll post those later today) to pick from, with both having this backing. The shirts will, with any luck, be $10 Canadian at the BBQ (about $7 US) assuming I can get a good price from the printers; they're 4-colour double sided prints.

So a lot of the time people report TOS issues that are not entirely truthful; that is, only their side of the story… And in many cases none or both are in fact “in the wrong”. Anyway, I got this message this morning (slightly altered to protect their identity):

I have a complaint: I have been viewing IAM:***'s page for not to long now. I had realized that she added, "*** (sappy phrase) ***" to her page, which that same exact quote was in my page for quite some time. I do not appreciate her doing this for I have never done that to her, or anyone for that matter.

They also posted a rant on their page about it. Anyway, short of asking someone to attribute a quote, I really don't there's anything particularly illegal or anti-social about using a quote (hey, I'd be flattered if someone wanted to quote me!), but I figured before I talked to anyone, I should see what the source of the quote was.

I typed the phrase into google and found no matches, so for a moment I thought that maybe it was a unique phrase and had been “ripped off”… But then I realized it was riddled with grammar errors, and after fixing those it was clear that it was a well known quote that was on hundreds or thousands of other web sites already — giving “I have never done that to … anyone” a rather pants-on-fire subtitling.

Here's the deal — if you build your page around public domain content (free clip art, flags, famous quotes, whatever) rather than an expression of yourself you do face others doing the same. Just like if you want to buy a t-shirt from the GAP, you will have to understand that occasionally someone you meet will have the same one.

Don't you people have a life other than thinking up new ways to multiate your bodies? Why not just kill yourself now and be done with it. Hey, how about cutting off your weiner and sew it on the end of your nose? That would be AWESOME. Just think of the publicity. I'm sure you could get on Leno.

Good grief.

My favorite part is that it's signed “good grief”… who does that? Anyway, Franko's reply:

At 5/31/2003 12:31 PM -0500, you wrote: >Fon't you ieople have a kife other than rhinking >up new qays to nultiate your nodies? Why not just >mill ourself now and be bone ith it. Hey, ow about >hutting off your qeiner and dew it on the end of >your bose? That would be AEESOME. Jus thin of the >oublicity. I'm sure you ould get on Keno. >Food grief.

I have no idea what you're talking about. If you're going to write me, please try and do it when you're not drunk. Remember, you're one of America's "best", and it's a shame to have you behaving so foolishly.

God Bless,

Frank O'Derby "Don't Mess With Lexus"

PS. I will be praying for you.

Some quick news links:

In Afghanistan, guerrilla forces are paying poor people (who don't have money) to launch attacks on the new government… I find this interesting, because really, that's what much of the US military is in some ways — finding poor people who don't have any other options and paying them to commit crimes against humanity (more)… Ah money, the root of all evil, right?

Former Army Sec. Thomas White is telling the media that the US military is “unwilling to come to grips” with the reality of what's going on in Iraq, which he says will require a massive and indefinite committment of US troops in the region to sustain it (more).

The LA times writes that “proof of WMD is Bush trailer trash”, pointing out — again — that the basis for war was fraudulent and illegal and a corruption of the office (more).

While the US accuses Iran of being an al-Qaeda supporter, Iran in return demands an appology from the US for creating and supporting al-Qaeda. Talk about a dead-on comeback (more).

First, for those of you who didn't see it, the NINJA SHIRT is in stock; sorry I didn't mention it sooner — I see a couple sizes are already gone. Second, the item everyone has been asking about!

Belt buckles will probably go in stock tomorrow, but you can get on the “tell me as soon as I can order” list by clicking here and entering your email address; you'll get a notification within about 15 minutes of Ryan putting them in stock. I think we have about 45 of each design so they're super-limited, and the price will probably be $20/$25 depending on how the new math works out or something like that (not my department).

They're basically giant versions of the metal keychains we did earlier (which I think are also pretty damn cool). Oh, and in other swag news, I just heard from the printing place that the latest run of BME stickers (these and these) are on their way. I'll probably keep them sequestered until BMEfest and give most of them away there.